BAY Area Cup Swap 2021
Organized by Erik Scollon and hosted by Berkeley Art Center as part of the exhibition Origin Stories: Expanded Ceramics in the Bay Area
Cup No. 1, a collaboration between Arthur Gonzalez and Erik Scollon
Give a Cup, Take A Cup
The BAY AREA CUP SWAP has connected ceramic artists to one another through generosity and the exchange of mugs since 2009. As part of Origin Stories: Expanded Ceramics in the Bay Area, BAC is hosting the 2021 version. Ceramic artists, makers, potters, and sculptors of any kind and all levels are encouraged to participate. This event is for everyone, especially self-identified amateurs, hobbyists, “Sunday potters,” and those who work in community centers and neighborhood studios.
The premise is simple: exchange a cup you made for a chance to connect with someone else through the mug they made.
The pandemic version of the Cup Swap allows you to engage in three different ways to match your comfort level:
Gallery VisiT
Visit BAC by appointment during the exhibition and bring a mug you made. Include a short note to an unknown recipient. When you drop off your mug, you’ll receive a mug made by someone else, along with their note. Your mug will be on temporary display in the gallery until the next cup swapper arrives.
Mail Exchange
Pack and send your mug to Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA 94709. Include a note and a return address label. BAC will unpack your box, display your mug, and repack your box with a new mug to be shipped back to you. Your mug will be on temporary display in the gallery until the next cup swapper arrives.
lIve Outdoor Cup Swap
In accordance with public health guidelines, a socially distanced cup swap will take place in Live Oak Park outside BAC on Saturday, May 8 at 1pm. Wearing face coverings, cup swappers will be able to exchange mugs in real time with a chance to meet other potters. This event is free but registration is required. The gallery will also be open to a limited number of walk-up visitors at a time for the closing day of the exhibition.
See the cups on Instagram
#bayareacupswap
#bayareaceramics
@berkeleyartcenter